Readily removable door for instrument casing



1970 c. F. RQBINSON 3,525,177

READILY REMOVABLE DOOR FOR INSTRUMENT CASING Filed April 14, 1969 I5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.I

' INVENTOR. CLAYTON F. ROBINSON )i)%/ AGENT.

Aug. 25, 1970 C. F. ROBINSON READILY REMOVABLE DOOR FOR INSTRUMENT CASING Filed April 14, 1969 Sheets-Sheet 2 9s so 76 I22 14 so 52 2 IOO INVENTOR. CLAYTON F. ROBINSON 970 c. F. ROBINSON 3,525,177

READILY REMOVABLE DOOR FOR INSTRUMENT CASING 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14, 1969 INVENTOR. CLAYTON F. ROBINSON AGENT.

United States Patent 3,525,177 READILY REMOVABLE DOOR FOR INSTRUMENT CASING Clayton F. Robinson, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 14, 1969, Ser. No. 815,782 Int. Cl. E05d 15/38 US. Cl. 49-197 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Crook shaped hangers on the top of an instrument casing and segments formed on a pivot rod supported on a door of the casing are constructed so they can be brought into or out of pivotal relationship with one another only when the door and its associated segments are retained in a preselected angular position with respect to these hangers when it is desired to mount it on or remove it from the casing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an enclosure in which a unique connection is provided between the open end of a casing and a door covering the open end so that the door can be rapidly mounted on or removed therefrom.

It is still another more specific object of the present invention to provide an enclosure having a hinge connection between a door and an associated casing which can be removed only when its parts are positioned at a preselected angle between a fully opened and fully closed door position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosure having a hinge of the aforementioned type which is comprised of a pivot rod mounted on a top rear portion of the door having two spaced apart flat surfaces thereon so that the door can be pivoted through nonremovable positions in associated crook shaped hanger members that are fixedly mounted to the top surface of the casing.

It is another object of the present invention to employ a pivot rod of the aforementioned type in which arcuate portions of the rod and associated chord portions related therewith are employed to form two spaced apart segments along the rod.

It has heretofore been necessary to provide removable doors on casings, containing recording and other similar types of instruments, so that the instrument parts contained therein can be rapidly inspected periodically by maintenance service men during preventative maintenance inspection programs in order to keep these instruments in good working order.

In order to remove the door from the casing it has heretofore been necessary to use various tools to disconnect the screws or pins that connect hinged parts on the door to other associated hinge parts mounted on the casing.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to eliminate the need for hinges that require screws and/or pin connections and the tools that are required to assemble same by providing crook shaped parts that can be mounted on a casing and segments formed in a pivoted rod on the door that can be rapidly engaged with these crook shaped parts to form hinges.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view taken from the top rear left end portion of the instrument to show how (a) the two segments of the door and their associated hangers on which the door is mounted and (b) the separate guide plates along which opposite channel shaped rear side edges of the door travel when the door is in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows the face of the door in a position being stowed away in a horizontal position on the top of the casing.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows an upper partial view of the door along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1 when the door is in a position to be removed and further shows the typical relationship that each one of the chords on the segments of the pivot rod have with its crook shaped hanger while in this position.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the door when the door is in its closed vertical position and further shows the typical relationship that each one of the segments on the pivot rod have with its hooked shaped hanger while in this position.

The enclosure 10 shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a box shaped casing 12 and a door 14. A pair of crook shaped hangers 16, 18 are shown having semi-circular shaped portions 20, 22 and straight portions 24, 26. These hangers 16, 18, are each connected in a spaced apart manner with the top surface of the casing 12 by means of screw attachments 28, 30, 32, 34, and associated spacer sleeve members such as the sleeve member 36, 38, 40 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

Separate lugs 42, 44 are also shown connected bysuitable welding material 46, 48 to the top surface of the straight portions 24, 26 at a position that is adjacent the open end of each of the semi-circular portions 20, 22.

The door 14 is shown in FIG. 1 as having a transparent glass face portion 50 retained within a rectangular frame 52. The frame 52 has a U-shaped member 54 attached by a suitable number of screws e.g., the screws 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 to its inner bottom and side portions. A pivot rod 68 is shown extending between and fixedly connected to opposite side portions of the U-shaped portion 54 of the frame 52. The rod 68 is provided with flats or chord surfaces 70, '72 which together with its remaining arcuate portions 74, 76 form spaced apart segments 78, 80 in the rod 68.

As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the door 14 has channels 82, 84 formed by the bent side portions 86, 88 of the frame 50 and its U-shaped portion 54 to provide a means by which the door 14 can be slid along molybdenum disulfide covering 90, 92, formed on their associated outer side edges 94, 96 of the straight portions 24, 26 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 when the door 14 is being moved into or away from a stowed position on the top of the casing 12 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 1 also shows how an n-shaped supporting member 98 which is of a channel shaped cross section has leg portions 100, 101, 102 positioned along and in front of each of the portions 104, 105, 106 of the door frame 52.

The front side portions 104, 106 of the casing 12 and each of the leg portions 100, 102 of the supporting member 98 are positioned so that they can be jointly connected by suitable connecting means, for example, screw means 108, 110 to the supporting rack member 112, 114.

DOOR MOUNTING OPERATION When it is desired to mount the door 14 on a casing 12 the door 14 is held in its angular, partially opened dash line position as shown in FIG. 4 and while each of the segments 78, 80 are in the same dotted line position as that shown for segment 80 in FIG. 4. The door 14 and the segments 78, 80 formed in its pivot shaft 68 are then moved from their dash line positions as illustrated in FIG. 4 at a preselected angle back into the casing,

lowered and then moved in a direction toward the front of the casing at anangle that is parallel. to the first preselected angle and into their pivoted solid line position shown in FIG. 4. It can be seen by observing FIG. ,4 of the drawing that the clearance between the lug 44 and the semi-circular shaped portion 22 of the crook 26 is purposely made only slightly larger than the vertical distance between the center of the chord 72 and its associated arcuate portion 76 so that each of the similarly constructed segments 78, 80 can only be moved into pivotal engagement with the semi-circular portions 20, 22. when the door 14 and the chords 70, 72 forming the segments 78, 80 are at the preselected angle.

DOOR REMOVING OPERATION When it is desired to remove the door 14 from the as ing 12 during a time when it is in the closed position, shown in FIG. 5, the door is partially opened, the side! of the door are then grasped and manually rotated to its angular position shown in solid line form in FIG. 4. The door is then pushed while in this position at the angle shown in a direction toward the top rear surface of the casing 12 and then raised to its dash line position as shown in FIG. 4 that is parallel to and at the same angular. position as its solid line position. While retaining the door 14 at the preselected angle shown for its dotted line position it is then moved through the n-shaped supporting member 98 and out of the open side of the casing 12.

FIG. 3 shows a flat head screw 116 protruding through the outer wall of the leg 102 of member 98, through a lockwasher 118 and thence through a nut 120 and a pliable hex shaped member 122 that are threadedly mounted thereon. The nut 120 and lockwasher retains the shank of the screw in a fixed horizontal position on the leg 102 of support member 98 and the exposed left end of the hex member provides a guide to retain the left side of the door in spaced apart relationship with the leg 102 of the n-shaped support member, when the door is moved into and out of the storage area as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An enclosure, comprising a casing, a door positioned to cover an open end of the casing, hanger means connected to a top front surface of the casing, a pivot rod connected to a top rear portion of the door, said pivot rod and hanger means each having contacting surfact portions which are of a characteristically shaped configuration to enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said hanger means to support the door thereon only when the pivot rod and door are positioned at a preselected angle between an open and closed door position, and to thereafter enable the rod to be moved out of its engagement with the hanger in order to move the door connected therewith in a horizontal direction toward the rear top portion of the casing.

2. An enclosure, comprising a casing, a door positioned to cover an open end of the casing, hanger means connected to a front surface of the casing, a pivot rod connected to the door, said pivot rod and hanger means each having characterized surface portions to enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said hanger means only when the pivot rod and door are positioned at a preselected angle between an open and closed door position and wherein the casing is of a cup shaped configuration, the hanger means is of a crook shaped configuration extending upwardly from the top surface of the casing and has an open end facing in a direction toward the read of the casing, a lug is mounted on the hanger to restrict the opening formed by the crook, the inner surface of the crook said lug and a segment means formed on said pivot rod providing said characterized surfaces that will enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said crook.

3. The enclosure defined in claim 1 wherein front side edges of the casing and the associatedyertical side portions of an n-shaped casing support member are adapted for connection to a stationary supporting rack, said upper portion of the n-shaped member being spaced away from the top surface of said casing to provide a storage area .for'said door when the door is positioned in said horizontal position.

-4.' The enclosure defined in claim 1 wherein side portions of the door are constructed of a channel shaped configuration and the hanger means is provided with edges that extend rearwardly along the right and left top surface of the casing to provide a guide along which the channel shaped side portions of the door can slide.

5. An enclosure, comprising a casing, a door positioned to cover an open end of the casing, hanger means connected to a front surface of the casing, a pivot rod connected to the door, said pivot rod and hanger means i each have characterized surface portions to enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said hanger means only when the pivot rod and door are positioned at a preselected angle between an open and closed door position and wherein the casing is of a cup shaped configuration, the hanger means'is of a crook shaped configuration extending upwardly from the top surface of the casing and has an open end facing in a direction toward the rear of the casing, a lug is mounted on the hanger to restrict the opening formed by the crook,- the inner surface of the crook said lug and a segment means formed on saidpivot rod providing said characterized surfaces that will enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said crook and wherein the front side edges of the casing and the vertical side portions of an n-shaped casing support member are adapted for connection to a supporting rack, said upper portion of the n-shaped member being spaced away from the top surface of said casing to provide a storage area for said door and wherein pliable hex shaped pins are connected to the top side surfaces of said n-shaped member to guide the sides of the door in spaced apart relation with said n-shaped members when the door is moved into and out of said storage area.

6. An enclosure, comprising a casing, a door positioned to cover an open end of the casing, hanger means 7 connected to a front surface of the casing, a pivot rod connected to the door, said pivot rod and hanger means each having characterized surface portions to enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said hanger means only when the pivot rod and door are positioned at a preselected angle between an open and closed door position, and wherein thecasing is of a cup shaped configuration, the hanger means is of a crook shaped configuration extending upwardly from the top surface of the casing and has an open end facing in a direction toward the rear of the casing, a lug is mounted on the hanger to restrict the opening formed by the crook, the inner surface of thecrook said lug and a segment means formed on said pivot rod providing said characterized surfaces that will enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said crook and wherein the front side edges of the casing and the vertical side portions of an n-shaped casing support member are adapted for connection to a supporting rack, said upper portion of the n-shaped member being spaced away from the top surface of said casing to provide a storage area for said door and wherein said underside surface of said n-shaped casing support member is positioned in spaced apart relation with respect to said casing and hanger means to enable the door and its associated pivot rod to be removed from the hanger means and the casing only when the door has been moved toward the rear of the casing at saidpreselected angle, raised and thence moved in a forward direction over said hanger and under said support member at an angle equal to and displaced in a parallel plane away from said first preselected angular position of the door.

7-. An enclosure, comprising a casing, a door positioned to cover an open end of the casing, hanger means connected to a front surface of the casing, a pivot rod connected to the door, said pivot rod and hanger means each having characterized surface portions to enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said hanger means only when the pivot rod and door are positioned at a preselected angle between an open and closed door position, and wherein the casing is of a cup shaped configuration, the hanger means is of a crook shaped configuration extending upwardly from the top surface of the casing and has an open end facing in a direction toward the rear of the casing, a lug is mounted on the hanger to restrict the opening formed by the crook, the inner surface of the crook said lug and a segment means formed on said pivot rod providing said characterized surfaces that will enable the rod to be brought into pivotal engagement with said crook and wherein the front side edges of the casing and the vertical side portions of an n-shaped casing support member are adapted for connection to a supporting rack, said upper portion of the n-shaped member being spaced away from the top sur face of said casing to provide a storage area for said door, and wherein said underside surface of said n-shaped casing support member is positioned in spaced apart relation with respect to said casing and hanger means to enable the door and its associated pivot rod to be mounted for pivotal engagement in said hanger means and the casing only after the door has been moved in a direction to the rear of the casing at an angle that is displaced from and parallel to said preselected angle above the hanger and under the support member and then lowered and returned toward the front of the casing at said preselected angle.

8. The enclosure defined in claim 1 wherein the characterized surface portions on the pivot rod are spaced apart segments whose chord is of a smaller length than the length of the diameter of the pivot rod.

9. The enclosure defined in claim 1 wherein the characterized surface portions on the pivot rod are spaced apart segments whose chord is of a smaller length than the length of the diameter of the pivot rod and wherein the hanger means is of a crook shaped configuration, the chord is in a fixed position in a plan parallel to the front surface of the door, a plate is fixedly attached to the crook for allowing the segments to be pivotally engaged with the crook only when the chord of the segment and the door is at said preselected angular position.

10. The enclosure defined in claim 1 wherein the characterized surface portions on the pivot rod are spaced apart segments whose chord is of a smaller length than the length of the diameter of the pivot rod and wherein the characterized surface portions of the hanger means are constructed of two semi-circular shaped parts having a plate extending from and covering an open end portion of each, said construction of the hanger means and its associated plates providing a restricted passageway through which the segments of the pivoted rod can pass into engagement with the inside diametral portion of the semi-circular shaped parts only when the door is in said preselected position between an open and closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,342,619 2/1944 Vandenberg et a1. 49-389 2,822,230 2/1958 Curran 312-323 3,331,161 7/1967 Ruff 49-463 X KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 

